Newly released climate change report reinforces need for action

September 30, 2013
by Robert Sanders

Some areas of the globe have seen a 2.5 degree Celsius, or 4.5 degree Fahrenheit, increase in temperature since 1901. Image from IPCC AR5.

The release last week of Assessment Report 5, a new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), bolsters the conclusions of its 2007 report that humans are responsible for global warming, and it highlights the need for immediate action to reduce carbon emissions.

"The IPCC has reviewed and confirmed—yet again—the clear human influence on the climate in the form of fossil fuel burning and global warming," said Daniel Kammen, who was one of the coauthors of the initial report, which won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. "The key message from the detailed and collaborative work in this report is this: global warming is a confirmed process, and we have the ability to address it through investment in a low-carbon energy system."

As with the 2007 report, an international team of climate scientists worked together to evaluate the reliability of the climate models used in the IPCC's assessment. William Collins, UC Berkeley professor of earth and planetary science and a Berkeley Lab researcher who was lead author on the AR5 report's chapters on climate models, noted that both the quantity and quality of climate models have increased significantly in the last six years.

"The models are far more complete," Collins said. "Also their resolution has increased dramatically. We're able to start to resolve regional climate change in greater detail."

These improved models only strengthen the fundamental conclusion reached by climate scientists more than 20 years ago.

"Increased fidelity of the models is not altering the underlying conclusion: that increased carbon dioxide will lead to dramatic changes in our climate," Collins said. "We have very high confidence that the models are simulating the key features in the earth's climate."

"I started studying climate change when atmospheric CO2 levels was around 340 parts per million and global air temperature changes were still within the bounds of natural fluctuations," said Inez Fung, professor of earth and planetary science and a coauthor of the 2007 report. "Now CO2 is nearly 400 parts per million, and temperatures have been increasing steadily, decade by decade, and cannot be explained by natural fluctuations of the climate system. We now have definitive evidence that the upper 700 meters of the ocean have been warming, and that the oceans have become more acidic because of the invasion of anthropogenic CO2. Glaciers and sea ice are melting at unprecedented rates."

Given the renewed consensus, Kammen emphasizes the necessity of acting now to mitigate or adapt to climate change.

"We still have time to make significant changes in our energy system and mitigate the damages of warming, though it will not be easy," said Kammen, the Class of 1935 Distinguished Professor of Energy, co-director of the Berkeley Institute of the Environment and founding director of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL).

As Kammen and his colleagues detailed in the Special Report on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SSREN) in 2011, the transition to an energy system with 80 percent or less emissions (from the 1990 baseline) is possible regionally and globally.

"With the costs of a business as usual emissions path on arctic warming alone estimated in the trillions of dollars, the choice to act should be clear," he said. "The IPCC AR5 report shows that it is time to get on with the job."

The new AR5 report addresses the physical science behind the arguments for climate change. Two other reports on mitigation and adaptation are expected to be released next year. The IPCC was formed in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme to assess the evidence for climate change and predict the consequences.

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26 comments

"I think that the latest IPCC report has truly sunk to level of hilarious incoherence," said Dr. Richard Lindzen a top climate scientist at MIT. "They are proclaiming increased confidence in their models as the discrepancies between their models and observations increase."

How about this, everyone who believes that global warming is real and believes something needs to be done, especially if you are an elite Hollywood or political person, quite being hypocritical and lead by example, go sterilize yourselves immediately, sell your cars, quit flying planes, live in a one room apartment without heat, and using only 1 or 2 LED lights.

Al Profit Gore, when he sells his private planes, his multiple monster cars, his multiple monster mansions, when he lives simply, I will then start to believe that he might believe in AGW.

Until you AGW believers elite live like you really believe in AGW you are nothing but hypocrites.

"I think that the latest IPCC report has truly sunk to level of hilarious incoherence," said Dr. Richard Lindzen a top climate scientist at MIT. "They are proclaiming increased confidence in their models as the discrepancies between their models and observations increase."

It take thousands of scientists who work day in and out to provide a thorough rigorous assessment of state of climate independently peer reviewed with all the criticisms and suggestions to produce this report. And an old skeptical most currently arm chair scientist who thinks he knows better than them is truly laughable.

"I think that the latest IPCC report has truly sunk to level of hilarious incoherence," said Dr. Richard Lindzen a top climate scientist at MIT. "They are proclaiming increased confidence in their models as the discrepancies between their models and observations increase."

It take thousands of scientists who work day in and out to provide a thorough rigorous assessment of state of climate independently peer reviewed with all the criticisms and suggestions to produce this report. And an old skeptical most currently arm chair scientist who thinks he knows better than them is truly laughable.

How about this, everyone who believes that global warming is real and believes something needs to be done, especially if you are an elite Hollywood or political person, quite being hypocritical and lead by example, go sterilize yourselves immediately, sell your cars, quit flying planes, live in a one room apartment without heat, and using only 1 or 2 LED lights.

Al Profit Gore, when he sells his private planes, his multiple monster cars, his multiple monster mansions, when he lives simply, I will then start to believe that he might believe in AGW.

Until you AGW believers elite live like you really believe in AGW you are nothing but hypocrites.

If you can't take your meds on your own, get help with it. Oh, and have a nice day.

Solar panels on the roof is not a bad deal financially and geo-ethics wise. There are many ways a human can lower his/her carbon foot print but I like solar because it's a technology that keeps on giving for 25 to 50 years, day after day, year after year.

Solar panels on the roof is not a bad deal financially and geo-ethics wise. There are many ways a human can lower his/her carbon foot print but I like solar because it's a technology that keeps on giving for 25 to 50 years, day after day, year after year.

And your inoffensive comment was down-voted with a 1 by the troll Kiwini within minutes, without even an attempt at the usual inane sophistry or insulting invective. Have they started to become dimly aware of when their stunted capacity for rational discourse is outmatched?

It's not the first time the silent but deadly waft @kiwini has opened his hole and pointed it my direction. Even if it is lower than snakes belly on a moon lit mud puddle, he just doing what every well paid troll has to do; down grade every beneficial, truthful, positive, innocent and factual comment as troll bate! I LAUGH AT THE PUNY MEASURES THAT THE REPUBLICAN WILL TRY TO SWAY OPINION TOWARDS THEIR LOOSING POSITIONS. BUHAHAHA. HAHAHA.

Environmentalist Progressives Elite are Hypocrites and the lemmings that follow them are fools. While the Elite like Al Gore and his minions fly in private jets, the elite demand you quite flying.While the Elite living in mansions, the elite demand you live in huts.While the Elite drive monster vehicles, the elite demand you walk.While the Elite get rich trading carbon credits, you get higher taxes, higher food prices, poorer living conditions.

In 30 years these same lemmings will still believe global warming is an emergency IF the Environmentalist Progressive Elite tell them it's just around the corner. Fact don't matter when you follow the religion of Al Gore

While the Elite living in mansions, the elite demand you live in huts.

DO YOU LIVE IN A HUT? That is where the "conservatards" want you to live. But you call us environmental elitist? How can that be? We are just simple souls that want nothing more than a clean environment to live in, and a planet to pass on to our genetic heritage.

Maybe your like @R2 who just doesn't want anything to do with society or contribute to the development of our country and the betterment of it's people. Like what's wrong with Obamacare? It seems like it a good plan to me given American politics. Where is your brain at if you think differently? Where is you brain with all of the chest thumping default on the debt?

Yeah, the more you conservatards continue the shutdown, the more people will wise up and nail you to the wall as bad for the people.

Cherry pick much? I share a condominum townhome and, after relying on cycling/transit for 35 years, I drive a little Corolla. Oh, my, the extravagance! I'll snicker at your smear job tonight as I boot my re-used server, then go for a nap on my luxurious air mattress... To borrow a Vendianism -- TARD!

This from the above.On what planet do you live (?) that the following is objectionable?

"The vision is as follows:The low-carbon house: Every household hasexcellent insulation. Every household has a solarinstallation. The individual is warmer, has more hotwater and can even have more appliances than now.No household spends more than 10 per cent of itsincome on energy.The benefits: Carbon emissions are cut, nationalenergy security is increased; homes provide ahealthier environment; there are significantly increasedemployment and business opportunities. Fuel povertyhas disappeared."

BTW: I have benefited from a grant to better insulate my house: have a 4KWp Solar PV array and burn locally sourced wood in an efficient log-burner during the winter.

Unlike Progressive Lemmings, I dress the way I want, I heat my and power my home the way I want, I light my home the way I want, and I drive the car I want.

All Without government assistance.

Nein, if you want to live like that, that's your choice, if you live that way because it makes you feel somehow more noble then your a Progressive Environmentalist lemming..... just don't use Government to force others to live the way you want.

... I dress the way I want, I heat my and power my home the way I want, I light my home the way I want, and I drive the car I want.

All Without government assistance.

Interesting. So all of your choices fall outside the "approved products" that we find the normal channels of retail and wholesale clogged up with? Exactly how free is Freethinking, do you insure your material wealth?? Just pointing out that the government had to approve everything you own (otherwise it is illegal), the choices you made were from products that someone else selected and authorized for sale at prices they set. Same with your energy provider, lamp vendor and car dealer. You are as free as you're allowed to be and you brag like it's your own doing... voluntarily ignorant of the impacts of the choices you think you made for yourself...unaware of how ironic calling anyone else a lemming actually is.

Your next post is so rediculous I'm left wondering how you manage to form sentences.

"I think that the latest IPCC report has truly sunk to level of hilarious incoherence," said Dr. Richard Lindzen a top climate scientist at MIT. "They are proclaiming increased confidence in their models as the discrepancies between their models and observations increase."

It take thousands of scientists who work day in and out to provide a thorough rigorous assessment of state of climate independently peer reviewed with all the criticisms and suggestions to produce this report. And an old skeptical most currently arm chair scientist who thinks he knows better than them is truly laughable.

what rigourous assesment?

The one you refused to honestly read or comprehend.

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